THE KOLAPORE CUP A BISLEY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 10837, 22 August 1898, Page 6

THE KOLAPORE CUP A BISLEY.

HOW VICTORIA WAS DEFEATED. The Sydney Morning Horald of August '.J contains a detailed account, from it* London correspondent, of the contest for the Kolaporo Cup between the Mother Country and her colonies. Victoria (tho winners last year) were, as stated in our cablo news, defeated by the narrow majority of three points. A moro exciting finish (says the Herald corros pendent) has seldom been witnessed in connection with a team match, and it is no exaggeration to say that tho sympathies of the onlookers, who proverbially sea most of the game, wero largely with the Victorians, and the general verdict was one of hard lines that the cup should bo wrostcd from Melbourne after the gallant struggle made by hor men. The team, however, have nothing to upbraid themselves with. They did thoir best, and have taken thoir beating like men. The hop* is freely expressed, in view of so clo3e i Ight, that tho Victorians may bo tempted to coma to Bisloy noxt year. It is perhaps some mi'u satisfaction to the Victorians to know they wero not defeated either by the Mother Country or by representatives, of Our Lady of tho Snows. Tho honour of having beaten thorn belongs to gallant little Guernsey, which has tried many years and novor before sue ceedod in winning tho Kolaporo. This w,i> an almost ideal morning for shooting when the teams assembled at the first distance— 200 yards. Tliero were six entries, the Motha* Country, Canada, Victoria, Jersey, Guernsey, and India. Tho Indian team was a purely scratch variety, and novor had any clianca of success. Jersoy, too, entered the strugglo with a feeble heart, and tho spectators had no cyoa except for Victoria, Canada, tho Mother Country, and Guernsey. All the competitors wero in uniform, and tho picturesque uniforms of tho Victorians naturally attracted a good deal of attention. Captain Marshall, commandant of the team, was there, alert ami carefully watching every move, and every now and then letting full useful and timely" hints to his men. Tho teams were divided into hidves, four men shooting together at two tar gets. Tho Victorians' first four at 200 yards wero Hnwkon, '.toss, Todd, and Whitehead. The now member of the team, Todd, proved himself the best of this quartette, dropping two points only. Whitehead came out next with a range iolal of 32, with an hnor and magpie for his third and fourth shots. Ross dropped four points, while Hawker planted all his shots in the inner ring, gotting from timo to time provokingly near tho bull's-eye without actually reaching it. When the first four men each time had completed thoir rounds at this initial distance Victoria was ahead, the totals reading: Victoria 124, Canada 122, Mother Country 121, Jorsoy and Guernsey 118 each, India 116. This promising start was not sustained by tho second half of the team. Although Sloane, who shot splendidly throughout, put on 33, Grummott only mado 27, and, without wishing to say anything disparaging of an excellent shot and fine fellow, there is no disguising the fact that ho was not in form, and that ho proved himself tho weak link in tho team. It is sure no one regrets the results more than Gruminclt himself, but a comparison of the detailed scores inexorably exhibits him as the unfortunate member of tho combination. Tho finals of the 200 yds range yield this result: —Mother Country 248, Victoria 244, Canada 244, Guernsey 241, Jersey 233, India 237. In tho corresponding stage last year, Victoria made 253, fivo points more than tho Mother Country's aggregate on tho present occasion, and nine points less than her score to-day. Of course there was nothing in it so far, and everybody went back to tho 500 yds range feeling perfectly happy, tvilh tho exception, perhaps, of Jersey ami India. At 500 yds the wind and light became variable, and tho splendid shooting conditions 3( the morning accordingly underwent a slight variation. The first four mon of Victoria mado 126 nonts at this distance, against 123 by tho Mother Country, and 131 eaoh by Canada and Guernsey. This gave l-lio Mother Country a lead of fivo joints over eight points over Guernsey, and nine points over Victoria. Comparatively this was a matter of no moment. It only means a differonco of n bull's-eye and an inner between Victoria and tho leading team. At tho close of tho 500 yds range this was the position: — Mother Countrv, 507 ; Guernsey. 505; Canada, 502; Victoria,"497; Jersey, 482; India, 473. Nobody thought of troubling any more about Jersey and India. 1 ventured to romark to a member of tho Victorian team that he would have a hard shoot at the final distance, 600 yds. ' I know," he made the reply, "but that is our best distance." So it proved to be, Victoria mado a better score at 600 yds than any other loam, but it just failed by three points to carry tho cup back to Melbourne. Even Grummelt went* far to justify his selection bv his shooting at 600 yds, but it was too late. lie had thrown away his chances at 200 yds and 500 yds. The finish came very soon. The teams shot more rapidly than they did at 500 yds, and soon the Mother Country declared her aggregate to bo 741. A minute later Guernsey showed her tho way, three points " better— The question now was the shot of Victoria. I had been watching tho Victorian team very closely, and saw that it was going to be a neck-and-neck race between them, the Mother Country, and Guernsey. The last two mm I) firo wore Fargher and Carter. The Victorians' total stood at 734, and she had two shots still to go. Given two bull's-eyes and she would win. Granted that her aggregate would be the same as Guernsey's, Victoria would bo tho victors in virtue of having aiaoe tho biggest scoro at tho longest distant, However, Farghor's last shot was an inner, and that settled it. Sloane, who shot gamely throughout, finished up with a bull's-eye: but nothing now remained but to ehoer f. r | tho victors, and this the Victorians did with j right hearty goodwill. The islanders from Guernsey wero wild with delight at having ! for the first time in thoir history secured—;. must eonfoss a little to their surprise—(lit ! coveted trophy. They had other cause for rejoicing, for their victory gave them a special prizo of £80, which was bestowed on me colonial team making the highest score in the Kolapore Cup competition. Captain Marshall, in a few well-chosen, generous leniences, proposed three hearty cheers lor the Guernsey team. "Wo have como a long way," lie said, "to shoot this match. We have not been successful, but we have been beaten by a very excellent team." The V l -"- torians raised their caps, and three rousing cheers rang out across the" Bisloy Common. The Guernsey men wore not to he outdone in courtaoy. Sir. I.eale, who was in chargo of tho team, said lie was very proud to have beaten such splendid opponents in their friends from Australia. " Let us give three j cheers for the Victorians," he said, and the island mon answered with cheers for Victoria [ to the last echo.;